Why it’s buzzworthy: One word: Vampires! Seriously, given Hollywood’s love for bandwagons, it’s sort of amazing that The CW was the only broadcaster to go after the “Twilight”/”True Blood” crowd this season with its own bloodsucking hour.

The CW’s foresight has been rewarded with the network’s biggest new hit since “Gossip Girl.” Viewers are responding to the show’s juicy storylines, its super-hot cast and the always appreciated sense of humor that showrunner Kevin Williamson (“Scream”) brings to the table.

“I think the show is darker and more complicated than some people were expecting, emotionally and plot-wise,” said “Vee,” co-founder of Vampire-Diaries.net. “The showrunners have proven right out of the gate that they’re not going to take it easy on their characters or audience.”

Breakout star: Ian Somerhalder. He already had the most face recognition going into the show, thanks to his turn on “Lost.” But playing bad-boy vamp Damon has turned him into a megastar among the tween and teen set. If Williamson can hook him up with a key part in a summer blockbuster, look for his career to explode.

Ratings vs. hype: CW shows will always draw more buzz than viewers. But “TVD” is very clearly a hit by any measure. After setting records with its September premiere, its audience still seems to be growing. It’s also helped the CW increase its Thursday night ratings among adults 18-34 by more than 20 percent.